The Voices of Reason
by Ragni Mithrim
Summary: Karaoke Team bonding. One-Shot, inspired by "I know him so Well" from chess. I own nothing. Rated for Torchwood goodness  slash, kissing, etc


It was all Gwen's fault. There was no else to blame for this. Only Gwen would recommend Karaoke as a "Teambonding Exercise"; and then bring Rhys along too. Sitting in the private room that she had rented for the team, Ianto was rather against this, especially when he knew Jack would want to sing with him. Jones never truly felt he was that great at singing, but for Jack, he would. And after all, karaoke wasn't necissarily meant to be sung well, right?

Nodding to himself he flipped through the songs for one he kind of knew and he figured that Jack knew just about all of them and smiled when he found one he wanted. Owen had just finished singing some loud song about Banging women and Ianto had been pleasantly surprised that he wasn't half bad. Tosh was refusing to go up, or at least by herself and Gwen and Rhys had done a semi-drunken rendition of "I got you babe" by Sunny and Cher.

Smiling at Jack he got up and pressed the code for the song and looked at Jack. "Your lead, Sir," he muttered and Jack snorted.

"I always lead, you should know that by now," He leered and Ianto stiffled a laugh. The music started and Jack winked at him and the Welshman relaxed a little. Ianto had only recently heard the song, but he had fallen in love with it. To him, it spoke volumes, his and Jack's story, the one that might not last long, but one he hoped Jack would carry forever.

"Nothing is so good it lasts eternally  
Perfect situations must go wrong  
But this has never yet prevented me,  
Wanting far too much, for far too long...

Looking back I could have played it differently  
Won a few more moments, who can tell?  
But it took time to understand the man,  
Now at least, I know I know him well..."

Smiling Ianto joined in at the appropriate part and soon got lost in Jack's eyes.

"Wasn't it good? Oh so good.  
Wasn't he fine? Oh so fine.  
Isn't it madness, he can't be mine?"

Falling silent he kept smiling at Jack, looking into Jack's eyes and finding all the emotions there that he knew where probably on his face. He knew he was more than just a shag, but for Jack to admit that would mean more pain.

"But in the end he needs a little bit more than me, more security.  
He needs his fantasy and freedom.  
I know him so well...

No one in your life is with you constantly;  
No one is completely on your side  
And though I moved my world to be with him,  
Still the gap between us, is too wide..."

Soon their voices joined as they sang and he felt something brush his fingers and he instinctivly clasped the fingers into his own hand and squeezed. The room around them had melted away, Gwen, Tosh, Rhys, Owen, they were all gone. The horrid paint job was gone, the overtly colored things were gone and it was just him and Jack now.

"Looking back I could have played it differently;  
Learned about the man before I fell (I was just a little careless)  
But I was ever so much younger then  
And now at least, I know I know him well.

Wasn't it good? Oh so good.  
Wasn't he fine? Oh so fine.  
Isn't it madness, he can't be mine?

Didn't I know? didn't I know?  
How it would go if I knew from the start?  
Why, why am I falling apart?  
He can't be mine."

The only way this song could have been more true for them was if one of them had written it. Then again, Jack might have written it, who knew? Though that might warrent looking into when they got back to the - Oh, Jack was smiling that smile now, the one that melted his heart every time. Oh when did his knees start shaking, oh well, if he fell it wouldn't be hard.

"But in the end he needs a little bit more than me, more security and freedom.  
I know him so well...

It took time to understand him,  
I know him so well..."

As the music stopped, Ianto slowly gravitated closer to Jack and Jack did the same. His eyes slowly shut as their lips brushed tentitavly, sweetly, with a hint of promise for later that night. His arms wrapped around Jack's neck on their own accord and he fought down a blush as the moment was ruined by an "OI!" and a "Bloody 'ell, they're at it again!"

Laughing the two pulled away and headed back to their shared seat, hand in hand with smoldering looks in their eyes.


End file.
